Pecan farmers on alert for nut rustlers

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - Theft is a constant threat for farmers, especially when prices are up on whatever they're growing.

In New Mexico, thieves are after pecans.

It's gotten so bad, one farmer now has armed guards patrolling his crops 24-7.

It's harvest time for pecan orchards across the state, and for the 1,600-acre Haley Farm in Roswell, that means all hands on deck and all eyes on the lookout.

"We patrol the roads in the fields during the day, and then we have cameras here at the warehouse for nighttime, and during the day likewise," Bruce Haley said.

Haley said he also makes sure gates are locked on the property after hours.

Farmers also have sheriff's departments on alert to help them keep an eye out for thieves. Deputies in Chaves County said they patrol the pecan farms more during harvest.

One year Haley caught someone on camera using his own equipment to steal his pecans.

"The price has been going up for the last few years, and they've become a very valuable property," Haley explained.

In-shell pecans go for almost $3 per pound, while shelled pecans can sell for as much as $10.

Haley Farms has been a target for thieves in the past, and Haley said if it gets worse this harvest season, armed guards could be a serious option.

"There's been discussion amongst our growers around here and amongst our own owners, but we haven't stepped out to that," Haley explained. "But I don't doubt that some day you could see that out here."

From December to mid-February, farmers are on high alert.

"We work all year long just for this one season to harvest the pecans, and then sometimes people beat us to them," Haley said.  "It's real disappointing, you know, to know that you put all the work into it, and then somebody will run out there and steal the pecans and say, 'Well, we didn't think anybody was going to pick these,' or, 'They're outside the fence you know, so we think they're for the public.'"

Farmers in Chaves County said they will press charges if they catch anyone stealing.

Stealing more than $500 worth of anything is a felony whether it's a flat-screen TV or sacks of pecans.

New Mexico is third-biggest pecan-producing state in the country.